


A Heart Without Wings, A Bird Without Feathers

by nazgularepeopletoo



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Wings, Multi, color symbolism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 02:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15159989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nazgularepeopletoo/pseuds/nazgularepeopletoo
Summary: Everyone has wings that grow with love, and everyone has a unique color to their own wings based on who loves them.





	A Heart Without Wings, A Bird Without Feathers

Violet had always catalogued peoples wings when she met them. It started with her family, shortly after Klaus was born. She noticed it because both her parents and her own wings puffed up. Not too much, as babies don’t have much capacity for love at first, but as Klaus grew, so did their wings. She also noticed the colors. When she asked, her mother told her that each color ment a different person. Hers were mostly pink, white, and burgundy, from her father, her mother, and Klaus respectively. Her fathers and mothers were very similar; burgundy and violet for their children (and later a pastel yellow from Sunny), and a smattering of others from their friends that they never spoke of. However, her mother had a large amount of dark blue feathers that were similarly never spoken of, though Violet had seen her trying to pluck some out when she thought no one was looking. 

When their parents died that day on the beach, all three of the children shuddered, feeling something ache deep in their bones and their feathers. They were already shedding as Mr. Poe picked his way through the wet sand to deliver the news. Violet noticed his wings were average, most of the feathers coming from his family. She didn't think much about it because she was watching her baby sisters wings shed, something a baby should never have to experience. 

Justice Strauss had lovely wings, which raised Violet’s spirits as much as they could be raised based on the circumstances. As they spoke, she could feel her own wings swell a bit and saw a few new feathers add themselves to the judges rainbow. She smiled. Of course it all changed when they learned of their true guardian. 

Count Olaf’s wings were hideous, like everything else about him. They weren’t full, and they were mottled, ash grey blending with sickly mustard alongside scattered dark blue, a dark blue that was startlingly familiar to Violet. She did not think about it. The rest of the ragged feathers were black. His acting troupe all had fuller wings than him. The twin women’s wings were mostly bone white. The hook handed man’s were deep orange and bright pink, which did not match his personality at all, Violet thought, a thought that Klaus voiced later that evening. The henchperson who’s gender Violet could not determine and refused to define had light teal wings. The bald man had a mix of all three. Over the next few weeks Violet was shocked to find stray orange and teal feathers hidden in the folds of her and her siblings wings.

* * *

 

Violet had never really seen anyone whose wings were made up of mostly animal’s love, but Uncle Monty’s wings were extraordinary. They shimmered with iridescent scales instead of feathers, the result of hundreds of lizards and snakes. Immediately when they saw him, Violet saw forest green feathers sprouting in her siblings wings. They were going to be happy here, she could feel it. 

Of course that all changed when the doorbell rang and the orphans were greeted with a familiar set of disgusting wings on a slightly familiar man. He was disguised, but the wings and demeanor were blatantly Olaf. They tried in vein to tell everyone. Uncle Monty seemed to believe them, but before they knew it, they woke up in a pile of forest green feathers.

* * *

 

The only way that Violet knew that their Aunt Josephine’s feather colour was lavender was because that’s what her wings were full of. Being a recluse, most of her love came from herself, though there was those similar speckles of dark blue, royal purple, and others. There weren’t, however, any forest green feathers. Violet tried hard not to think about that. 

Things seemed to be going interestingly for the day, a few lavender feathers poking their way into the childrens wings. It didn’t last very long, it lasted less time then the peace with Uncle Monty, in fact. Not a few hours later, Josephine came home elated and beaming, leading a disguised Count Olaf into the house. The eye patch was new, the peg leg was new, but the oily wings were the same as ever. Violet felt like she could cry, but she knew she had to be strong for her siblings. 

They had some hope, for a while, when the suicide note turned out to be fake. They had hope when they found the photograph depicting their parents, guardians, and various others. They had hope when they found Josephine hiding out in the cave. They had hope when the ship came out of the darkness to save them from the ferocious leeches. Their hope was smashed along with the railing that Josephine was pushed over. Their lavender feathers fluttered away in the post-hurricane wind.

* * *

 

Violet had never seen anyone with almost completely bare wings, but there was a first time for everything. Charles’ wings were almost completely bare, a few dark brown feathers clinging on to the shivering skin. The children were silent on the matter, glancing between Charles and Sir, taking in Sir’s full, tan wings. Violet noted that Charles didn’t have any tan feathers of his own. Her heart sank for him. 

All of the mill workers had the same wings, a dull brown that was washed out and unsettling to look at. The work was monotonous, but still not suited for children. They would have to find a way to get out of there, but for now they were safe from Count Olaf. Or so they thought.

It wasn’t long before once again, Olaf’s tattered wings assaulted their senses. This time, despite being in a dress, his wings were almost the same, except there were black and white speckled feathers that matched the optometrist's voluminous wings. It was nice to see Olaf have to lose feathers for once. 

**Author's Note:**

> I got inspired by a post on tumblr by inkskinned, allagorr, and spiritedandloyal for this!


End file.
